Kansas wheat harvest continues to progress

The Kansas Wheat Harvest Report is a cooperative agreement between the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Wheat Commission.

Kevin Wiens of Team Marketing Alliance in Moundridge reports good progress last weekend, but they've taken in 10 percent of average production. Moisture content has ranged from 12 to 13 percent and test weights from 52 to 54 pounds per bushel.

The need for custom cutters is growing urgent as western Kansas wheat ripens. Cutters and producers are asked to call the Kansas Department of Commerce at (785) 296-2159.

Cory Harrington of Farmer Cooperative Elevator Company in Halstead said it is hard to tell exactly how things are going, but they are probably 30 percent done. The number of bushels is significantly down this year, but they were pretty well in full swing Monday afternoon. Quality factors are varied within their territory. They have spots of average quality wheat but significant areas of below average quality wheat. Producers are having a lot of trouble harvesting their grain.

Alan Doubrava of Ellsworth Co-Op said producers are trying to get started after weekend storms. They only began test cutting last Thursday, and their expectations are poor with freeze, rust, wind and diseases not to mention 20 inches of rain in May that flooded some areas.

Curtis Frick of Agri Producers Inc. in Durham said grain was coming in Monday, but its quality is bad, with test weights from 47 to 56 pounds per bushel. The wheat was heavier earlier in the harvest and test weights have gone downhill over the past several days. Producers have harvested their better fields and are into their poorer fields.

Rose Anstine of Two Rivers Co-Op in Arkansas City reports continued low-quality wheat and low yields with 385,000 bushels taken into their system.

David Schemm of Sharon Springs said he finished with his first field. He confirms the shortage of custom cutters in western Kansas with a lot of fields ready to go and growing concern in the area.

The pace picked up last Friday for Fowler Equity Exchange in Fowler. Barbie Padgett reports the test weight average as of close of business on Sunday was 60 pounds.

They have taken bushels to equal 38 percent of their five-year average production but are probably only 20 percent harvested at this point. Their expectations are pretty good this year.

Bruce Williams at the Rangeland Co-Op Inc. at Phillipsburg reports the pace picking up since their first load on June 20. They are getting quite a mixed bag with more heavy wheat than expected. Test weights are running from 56 to 61 pounds per bushel. They have a lot of shrunken and broken kernels and are seeing results of a big hailstorm May 31.

Producers around Atwood have been cutting all weekend as reported by Karin Finley at McDougal-Sager & Snodgrass Grain. They have yields from 30 bushel per acre ranging up to 70 bushels per acre. They are trying to hold off a couple of chances for rain and expect to be really busy by mid-week.